Court Sentences Three to Death Over Murder Of Rivers Pharmacist
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has convicted and sentenced three persons to death by hanging over the kidnapping and murder of a pharmacist, Muenalo Sunday, in Khana Local Government Area of the state.
The trial judge, Augusta Chukwu, on Friday sentenced Confidence Kirinee, popularly known as General Illa, Precious Mona, and Soniabari Sagha to death by hanging after finding them guilty of conspiracy, cultism, kidnapping and murder.
The court also convicted Loveday Legah for cultism and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The convictions followed the killing of the pharmacist, Muenalo Sunday, who was abducted and murdered on March 5, 2019, in Zaakpo community, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Delivering judgment, Justice Augusta Chukwu held that the prosecution had successfully proved the charges against the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt.
The court found that the convicts, identified as members of the Iceland secret cult group, conspired to kidnap and murder the pharmacist.
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Evidence presented before the court, including confessional statements by the defendants, showed that the victim was killed and mutilated by the cult members.
According to the court, the perpetrators severed the head and other sensitive organs of the victim and dumped the mutilated body in a pit. The head was allegedly taken to a shrine located in a bush in a neighbouring community.
Justice Chukwu ruled that while Loveday Legah would spend the rest of his life in prison for cultism, the three other defendants — Confidence Kirinee, Precious Mona and Soniabari Sagha — should “be hanged by the neck until they are confirmed dead.”
Counsel to the convicted persons declined comment on the judgment.
However, the prosecution counsel, Precious Ordu, Chief State Counsel in the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, commended the court for what he described as a thorough and diligent judgment.
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He said the verdict demonstrated that justice had been served to both the dead and the living.
Reacting to the ruling, the widow of the deceased pharmacist, Pretty Neewa-Sunday, expressed relief and satisfaction with the outcome of the case.
She said the judgment would finally allow the soul of her late husband to rest in peace after years of grief and legal battle following his brutal killing.
